Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.
This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.
So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.
This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.
zero hedge – YouTube To Delete All Accounts That Aren’t “Commercially Viable” Starting Dec. 10th
This is obvious censorship. YouTube is planning to silence those who disagree with the political/ruling class and have taken sides. Speaking truth to power is now borderline criminal. The censorship continues…
Authored by Ethan Huff via Natural News,
Content creators everywhere are starting to panic about an upcoming policy change over at YouTube that threatens to eliminate all accounts and channels on the Google-owned video platform that are deemed to no longer be “commercially viable.”
In the “Account Suspension & Termination” section of YouTube’s “Terminations by YouTube for Service Changes,” guidelines, the company explains that, as of December 10, 2019, “YouTube may terminate your access, or your Google account’s access to all or part of the Service, if YouTube believes, in its sole discretion, that provision of the Service to you is no longer commercially viable.”
In other words, if you have a YouTube channel that YouTube employees decide isn’t profitable enough for Google, then the company has now granted itself the option to completely shut down your account without warning or consequence.
What this means is that YouTube content creators who’ve built their entire livelihoods around the platform are going to need a backup option in the event that they end up being terminated. One such option is Brighteon.com, which you can sign up for here.
t also means that YouTube has created for itself yet another legal loophole to continue targeting channels that disseminate politically incorrect content, which YouTube has been trying to silence from its platform for at least the past several years.
In essence, YouTube now has a blanket excuse to pull down all channels that it wants to see eliminated by simply claiming that these channels are no longer profitable. And there will likely be no way for targeted YouTube users to prove otherwise.
According to YouTube, these changes merely make the company’s Terms of Service “clearer and easier to understand.” But for most people carefully observing what’s going on, the obvious reality is that YouTube is once again up to no good.
“The terms could be a way for YouTube to remove channels that promote hate speech, conspiracy theories, or harmful messages whose content isn’t extreme enough to warrant an outright ban, as these are unlikely to be commercially viable,” writes Rob Thubron for Techspot, illustrating this point.
“But if this is the case, it needs to be clearly explained,” he adds.
For more related news about Big Tech’s plot to subvert online free speech, be sure to check out Censorship.news.
ALL YOUTUBE HAS TO DO NOW TO SILENCE FREE SPEECH IS DEMONETIZE CHANNELS IT DOESN’T LIKE AND FORCE THEM INTO COMMERCIAL NON-VIABILITY
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what YouTube is planning to do once this policy change comes into full effect.
We already know that many conservative-leaning YouTube channels have been demonetized by YouTube with the goal of driving them out of business. However, thanks to workarounds like Patreon, many of these channels are still up and running, despite YouTube’s best efforts to financially destroy them.
Since mere demonetization hasn’t led to the outcome that YouTube hoped for, the Google-owned video platform is now making “commercial viability,” as arbitrarily defined by YouTube, a new requirement to maintain a presence on YouTube.
“First they’ll demonetize you, then they’ll remove you completely because you are no longer ‘commercially viable,’” warns Twitter user “Raging Golden Eagle” about where this all is headed.
If you’re a YouTube creator or know someone who is, let this be the writing on the wall as to what’s coming in less than a month. YouTube wants total control over everything that happens on its platform, just like its parent company Google wants over its search engine platform.
“Just another backdoor attempt at censorship and traffic steering,” wrote one Techspot commenter in response to the news.
“In a few years, YouTube will only allow creators that have a minimum of 100K followers within 90 days of launch and they’ll have to be a member of the local communist party.”
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/youtube-delete-all-accounts-arent-commercially-viable-starting-dec-10th
Sky News – Inside Extinction Rebellion
( 24 min )
Pakistan Air Force displays mannequin of downed Indian pilot
Abhinandan Varthaman is a national hero in India. The Indian pilot’s plane was shot down in Pakistan during a standoff over the disputed Kashmir region.
Seized in Pakistan, returned to India, Abhinandan Varthaman, and his trademark handlebar mustache, became an instant star.
But now, the Pakistani Air Force has opened an exhibition in the PAF Museum featuring a statue of the Wing Commander and items from his capture.
Pakistanis are flocking to the gallery, drawing anger from across the border with India.
The Road to an Iranian Attack on Israel
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Israeli political and military leaders have warned against the possibility of a major military confrontation with Iran, which wants to deter Israel from disrupting its attempts to build military bases in Syria and Iraq and to construct factories in which Hezbollah can convert its huge arsenal of rockets into accurate missiles. This threat is more acute in light of the American failure to respond to recent Iranian provocations in the Gulf. Israel should adopt an aggressive new strategic approach to meet this threat, in coordination with the US and in consultation with Russia.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu recently warned that increasing Iranian provocations and the absence of a US response could lead to a dangerous military confrontation between Israel and Iran. This warning is perceived by some as mere fear-mongering in the wake of two non-conclusive elections. Neither of the two leading candidates for PM, Netanyahu or Benjamin Gantz, has been able to form a government. Opposition spokespersons and commentators suggest that Netanyahu’s warning is a manipulation designed to break the political deadlock and push for the establishment of a national unity government of the type he favors.
But the IDF’s Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, and Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the Head of the IDF’s Operations Directorate, have issued similar warnings.
https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/iranian-attack-on-israel/
Richard: Thought provoking, I don’t agree with their interpretation of Trumps actions, (although part of it is possibly right) but I can see where they are getting those ideas and I agree that Iran is probably interpenetrating them the same way. The problem with this is that they are looking at the traditional military reaction while Trump prefers to use economic reaction and the military option as a last resort. The economic forces Trump has set in movement can do as much damage as military action but takes a lot longer. The big question is will Iran hold off long enough for the economic forces to reach the point where Iran can’t attack?
CHINA is selling its most advanced “fully autonomous” military drones with fears that it could lead to a bloodbath in the Middle East.
The Asian superpower is reportedly selling AI-enhanced combat drones to the region, with potentially disastrous consequences.
Prof Toby Walsh, of the University of NSW, in Australia, said: “They would be impossible to defend yourself against.
“Once the shooting starts, every human on the battlefield will be dead.”
US Defence Sec Mark Esper has said that China is selling drones programmed to decide themselves who lives or dies.
He told a conference on Artificial Intelligence: “As we speak, the Chinese government is already exporting some of its most advanced military aerial drones to the Middle East as it prepares to export its next generation stealth UAVs when those come online.
“In addition, Chinese weapons manufacturers are selling drones advertised as capable of full autonomy including the ability to conduct lethal, targeted strikes.”
An Australian outlet, news.com.au, reports that a state controlled Chinese defence company is negotiating the sale of its Blowfish A3 armed helicopter drone to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/chinese-killer-robots-sold-middle-20882729
Judge Rules for America: Denies Citizenship to US-born Alabama Muslim Who Joined ISIS and who urged Muslims in America to ‘Go On Drive-Bys and SPILL ALL THEIR BLOOD’
She fled the country to fight alongside a vicious, brutal whose stated goal was to destroy American and install an Islamic state. She left the United States to join the jihad against America. She married three ISIS fighters.
https://gellerreport.com/2019/11/jusge-rules-isis-bride-not-us-citizen.html/
Edward Snowden And Chinese Censorship | Trump Promises Tariffs in US China Trade War
The Chinese censored Bible:
“Researchers say the current drive, fuelled by government unease over the growing number of Christians and their potential links to the west, is aimed not so much at destroying Christianity but bringing it to heel.”
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/how-far-can-a-journalist-go-to-get-a-big-story
Bringing Christianity to heel… where in Rome did I hear that one?
As Europe passes tipping point, will Huawei dominate 5G globally: John Sitilides
UTOPIA? San Fran To OK Public Urination, Denver Fines Business Owners For Not Cleaning Up Human Poop
Interview 1: President Donald J. Trump. The Dan Bongino Show 11/15/2019.
A bird’s-eye view of Hong Kong universities turned into fortresses during protests
Protesters fortify campus positions on sixth straight day of Hong Kong protests
Hong Kong in recession after months of anti-China protests
IRGC General: Iran’s Military Power Rising
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2019/11/15/2140786/irgc-general-iran-s-military-power-rising
“Iran continues to boost its military power, Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said.
In an interview with Tasnim in the western city of Sanandaj, Rear Admiral Fadavi underlined that Iran’s military power continues to grow.
He also noted that the IRGC has been doing its utmost to fulfill its duties and contribute to the promotion of Iran’s power and capabilities.
The commander then emphasized that full security prevails along the entire Iranian borders, noting that even the US admits that Iran enjoys the current level of security…”
Ayatollah Khamenei: We Are Not Anti-Semitic; We Want Abolition of The Zionist Regime
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2019/11/15/2140949/ayatollah-khamenei-we-are-not-anti-semitic-we-want-abolition-of-the-zionist-regime
“Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei called for the elimination of the fake Zionist regime of Israel, stressing that it would not translate into the elimination of Jewish people and must result in the election of a government by the people of Palestine.
In an address to a gathering of Iranian authorities and the participants in an international Islamic unity conference in Tehran on Friday, Ayatollah Khamenei underlined that elimination of Israel is tantamount to the elimination of the “fake Zionist regime” and the election of a government by the Palestinian people from all faiths.
Denouncing the hostile attempts to distort the meaning of late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini’s emphasis on the elimination of Israel, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “We favor Palestine, its independence and its salvation, and the elimination of Israel does not translate into the elimination of Jewish people, because we do not mean any harm to them, as a group of Jewish people are also living in full safety in our country.”
The elimination of Israel means the elimination of the Zionist regime that has been imposed on Palestine, the Leader noted, adding, “People of Palestine, either Muslims or Christians or Jews, who are the real owners of that territory, must be able to elect their government by themselves, throw out the aliens and thugs like Netanyahu, and govern their own country, and this will happen, of course.”
Highlighting the necessity for Muslim unity, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic unity is not a mere political or a tactical movement, but a faith in the hearts of Muslims that existed even before the formation of the Islamic Republic.
The Leader then warned that the enemies of Islam, most notably the US, are opposed to the nature of Islam and to all Muslim countries, saying the main weapons of the adversaries are infiltration into the sensitive and decision-making centers, creating division within the nations, and promoting the wrong notion that surrender to the US would be the only way to solve the problems.
The existing problems in the Islamic world, including the issue of Palestine, the bloody wars in Yemen, West Asia and North Africa, result from neglecting the principle of avoiding friction and remaining united against the common enemy, Ayatollah Khamenei underscored, adding, “Today, the Islamic world’s biggest calamity is the issue of Palestine, in which a nation has been displaced from its home and motherland.”
The Leader then reaffirmed the Islamic Republic’s commitment to supporting Palestine and its people without any consideration, describing such support as a duty of the entire Muslim world.
The 33rd Islamic Unity Conference that kicked off in Tehran this week marks the birth anniversary of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Themed “Ummah unity in defending the al-Aqsa Mosque,” the event will run until November 16, with 350 personalities from 93 countries in attendance.
It is held annually in an effort to lay the ground for stronger unity and solidarity among Muslims and provide solutions for their problems.
In relevant remarks in July, Ayatollah Khamenei had expressed confidence that the oppressed people of Palestine will emerge victorious in the face of Israeli occupiers and said the Islamic Republic has no hesitation when it comes to supporting Palestine.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran does not stand on ceremony with any country in the world when it comes to Palestine,” the Leader said in a meeting with a high-ranking delegation from Hamas, adding, “We have always expressed our views on Palestine clearly and transparently.”
“Even in the international arena, our friendly countries, with whom we have differences of opinion in this regard, know that the Islamic Republic is completely serious on the Palestinian issue,” Ayatollah Khamenei stated.
“One of the major causes of hostility toward the Islamic Republic of Iran is the issue of Palestine but these hostilities and pressures will not make Iran retreat from its stance on the issue because support for Palestine is a religious issue,” the Leader underscored.”
Iran Moves on Ultra-Cheap Petrol, Starts Rationing
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1993106/iran-moves-ultra-cheap-petrol-starts-rationing
“Iran imposed petrol rationing and raised pump prices by at least 50 percent Friday, saying the move aims to help the needy with cash handouts and is not due to a budget deficit.
“Increasing petrol prices is to the people’s benefit and also to help the society’s strata under (economic) pressure,” President Hassan Rouhani told a cabinet meeting, quoted by state news agency IRNA.
“No one should imagine that the government has done this because it is economically struggling; not at all, not a rial of this will go to the treasury,” he added, AFP reported.
Each driver with a fuel card will now have to pay 15,000 rials (13 US cents) per litre for the first 60 litres of petrol bought each month, said the state-run National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company.
Each additional litre will be charged at 30,000 rials…”
Algerians Flood Streets to Protest against December Presidential Polls
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1993236/algerians-flood-streets-protest-against-december-presidential-polls
“Demonstrators thronged the streets of the Algerian capital on Friday to renew their opposition to a presidential election they say will keep in power a political elite rejected by the people.
The protest came two days ahead of the start of campaigning for the December 12 vote.
Demonstrations have gripped Algeria every week since February when protesters flooded the streets of the capital and major cities against former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s bid for a fifth term in office.
The ailing Bouteflika stepped down in April under pressure from the street.
Powerful army chief General Ahmed Gaed Salah, the country’s main powerbroker in the post-Bouteflika era, has led a push for presidential polls by the end of 2019, after an earlier date was missed because no candidates came forward…”
Turkey Removed More Than 6,000 Syrians From Istanbul
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1993086/turkey-removed-more-6000-syrians-istanbul
“Turkey has sent more than 6,000 Syrian migrants in Istanbul to temporary housing centers in other provinces since early July, the local governor’s office said on Friday, two weeks after a deadline for Syrians not registered in the city to leave.
Authorities had given Syrians not registered in Istanbul until Oct. 30 to move to another province or face forced removal from the city, Reuters reported.
Turkey hosts more than 3.6 million Syrians, the largest population of Syrians displaced by an eight-year civil war…”
Five Saudi officials handed 32 years collective jail time
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/582663/SAUDI-ARABIA/Five-Saudi-officials-handed-32-years-collective-jail-time
“Five officials accused of financial and administrative corruption in Saudi Arabia have been given a 32 year collective prison sentence by the Kingdom’s Public Prosecution and were fined a total of SR9 million, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.
Charges against the defendants included wasting public funds, unjust enrichment, selling government property and taking advantage of their government jobs.
The prosecution found 300 items of evidence against the defendants and funds in their personal bank accounts were seized.
One of the officials was accused of receiving bribes, committing forgery, and exploiting his position to achieve personal favors. He was given a 12-year jail sentence and fined more than SR1 million.
Another official was accused of connivance in forging a document (reached amicably through traditional means), receiving and possessing the proceeds from a bribe, and engaging in commercial activities despite being a government employee.
According to the demands of the Public Prosecution, the judicial verdicts also affected some commercial entities. They were fined and deprived of signing any contracts with any public authority for a period specified by the pertinent penal regulations.
The Public Prosecution also stressed that it will not hesitate to take to court corrupt people and those who have breached the trust so that they receive the just punishment they deserve and in order to protect the nation. — SPA”
Ukraine detains Daesh’s deputy ‘Minister of War’
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191115-ukraine-detains-daeshs-deputy-minister-of-war/
“Ukraine’s security service said on Friday it had detained the deputy of Abu Omar al-Shishani, the man the Pentagon described as Daesh’s “minister of war”, after he crossed into Ukraine on a fake passport last year, reports Reuters.
The SBU security service said it had taken into custody Al Bara Shishani, a Georgian citizen, in a joint operation with Georgia’s Interior Ministry and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
An SBU statement said an examination of a photograph of Al Bara Shishani in the agency’s possession “proved that the detained foreigner is indeed a wanted leader of Daesh”.
Georgia’s state security service confirmed Al Bara Shishani was being held in Ukraine. “Yes, we can confirm this fact … His (birth) name is Cezar Tokhosashvili,” said Vika Klimicheva, a spokeswoman for the state security service.
He joined Daesh in 2015 and was the deputy to Abu Omar al-Shishani, who was killed in combat in 2016 and ranked among America’s most wanted militants under a US programme that offered up to $5 million for information to help remove him from the battlefield.
Both men were born in Georgia’s mountainous Pankisi gorge region.
After his death, Al Bara Shishani crossed into Turkey and later Ukraine where he continued to coordinate the activities of Daesh, the SBU statement said.
He was detained in the Kiev region near a private home where he resided, it added, without giving the date of the arrest.”
U.S. calls on Libya’s Haftar to halt Tripoli war, warns against Russia’s role
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-usa/u-s-calls-on-libyas-haftar-to-halt-tripoli-war-warns-against-russias-role-idUSKBN1XP210
“The United States on Friday called on eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar to stop his offensive on the capital held by the internationally recognized government and warned against Russian interference…”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid invites people to nominate tolerance champions in UAE
https://gulfnews.com/uae/sheikh-mohammed-bin-rashid-invites-people-to-nominate-tolerance-champions-in-uae-1.67856485
“Key figures, projects and initiatives that have contributed towards tolerance in the UAE can now be nominated for an award, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced on Friday.
In a series of tweets on his official Twitter page, Shaikh Mohammad called on Emiratis and expats to nominate key figures, projects and initiatives that contributed to entrenching the value of Tolerance through the… webpage or via the hashtag #UAE_Pioneers. A team of experts will assess and evaluate the nominees according to certain criteria…”
Seven countries voice support for Syria’s sovereignty in joint statement
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/355989/Egypt/Politics-/Seven-countries-voice-support-for-Syrias-sovereign.aspx
“The Small Group on Syria, which includes Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and the US, issued a statement on Thursday opposing forced demographic changes on Syrian lands, and called upon players in northeast Syria to implement an immediate ceasefire and seize military offensives.
“We also call for an immediate and genuine cessation of hostilities in Idlib, including an immediate halt to attacks against civilians. In addition, we stress the need to deal effectively with the terrorist threat emanating from Idlib and northwest Syria,” the joint statement, which was published by the US State Department, added.
The seven countries voiced their strong support of the work of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
The resolution, which was signed by the foreign ministers of the seven countries, supported a nationwide ceasefire, the creation of a genuine and representative Syrian constitution, the mass release of political prisoners, as well as UN-supervised elections that are free, fair and credible.
The statement comes a few weeks after the UN opened the door to progress in the political resolution, launching the Constitutional Committee, which is believed to be first step towards a political resolution.
The foreign ministers expressed “commitment to the enduring defeat of the Islamic State and other UN designated terrorist groups and remind the international community that a political settlement in Syria remains essential to sustainably achieving this shared goal.””
Turkey expects allies to disengage from PYD/YPG: FM
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-expects-allies-to-disengage-from-pyd-ypg-fm-148723
“Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu asked Turkey’s anti-ISIL coalition partners to refrain from partnering with the YPG, calling it a terrorist entity that must be treated as such.
“We expect all our coalition partners to disengage from the YPG,” he said, addressing the Global Coalition Against ISIL Ministerial Meeting in Washington on late Nov. 14.
The minister told the gathering of the coalition of foreign ministers that members must work with “legitimate partners,” stating that the PKK’s Syrian offshoot is responsible for more than 300 attacks in the last two years against Turks and Syrians.
That includes, the Turkish top diplomat said, firing over 1,000 rockets and mortars on Turkish towns as Turkish casualties have approached 200. “The PYD/YPG has committed crimes against humanity,” he said.
“Thanks to ‘Operation Peace Spring,’ the PYD/YPG agenda to establish a terror state is now in ruins. Syria’s territorial integrity and unity are enforced. A long-standing terror threat to Turkey is contained,” he added…”
Police arrest 75 FETÖ-linked terror suspects
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/police-arrest-75-feto-linked-terror-suspects-148717
“Turkish police on Nov. 15 detained 75 suspects for their suspected links to the FETÖ, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, security sources said.
The detains came after prosecutors in Ankara issued warrants for 121 suspects. Police conducted simultaneous raids in 29 provinces and detained 45 suspects.
The suspects were accused of leaking the civil service recruitment exam — also known as KPSS — in 2011, which they used to infiltrate state institutions.
Separately, police arrested 30 suspects among 53 warrants issued by prosecutors in Ankara over FETÖ infiltration of the Turkish Air Force Command.
The suspects were accused of having contact with FETÖ members via payphones.
Detains were made across 27 provinces.
A hunt for the remaining suspects is underway.
FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.”
Paypal is an Ethical Company
Muslim call for prayer recited first time in Amsterdam
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/muslim-call-for-prayer-recited-first-time-in-amsterdam/1646798
“The Muslim call for prayer was recited Friday on loudspeakers for the first time in Amsterdam, according to a mosque official.
The Blue Mosque had originally planned the Adhaan last Friday, but the cable of the audio system was cut by unidentified individuals.
Mosque-goers and locals stood outside and recorded the emotional moment on their cell phones.
Mosque spokesman Nourdeen Wildeman told Anadolu Agency that they were happy and honored to hear the Adhaan over the speakers despite the delay.
Stating that 7% of the mosques in the Netherlands have been reciting the Adhaan over the speakers for years, Wildeman noted that it was the first time for the capital city.
“There are different reactions from the locals. Some criticize it but in general the reactions are positive,” he said.
Ursula van Spronsen, a local, said she came to the mosque for the first time to hear the Adhaan and it sounded nice.
In the Netherlands where freedom of religion is protected by the Constitution, it is allowed for all religions to call its believers to worship by a law regulated in 1980.
Under the law, the municipalities can limit the duration and volume of the Adhaan, but cannot ban it.
There are around 500 mosques across the Netherlands.”
France closes 12 worship sites due to ‘political Islamism’ (ansamed, Nov 15, 2019)
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2019/11/15/france-closes-12-worship-sites-due-to-political-islamism_b131c65d-14d2-4bde-8ac9-d16f95d47be0.html
“French Secretary of State to the Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Friday that France has closed various businesses, schools, places of worship and associations in about 15 neighbourhoods in the country “hit by political Islamism and communitarianism”.
“We are fighting against political Islamism, which believes that the law of God is higher than that of the Republic,” Nunez said on France 2, highlighting that “political Islamism” shouldn’t be “confused with Islam”.
Nunez said that in about 15 neighbourhoods in French cities, “a bit fewer than 130 beverage shops were closed, 12 places of worship, four schools, and nine associations”.”
Denmark pays 71 Syrians to leave country
https://www.thelocal.dk/20191115/denmark-pays-71-syrians-to-leave-country
“71 Syrians have been paid since May 1st this year by the Danish state to leave the country and return home, figures from the Danish Refugee Council show.
The figures were reported by newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad on Friday.
Each left the country with at least 140,000 kroner paid to them by the Danish state through an incentive scheme introduced under the previous government.
None had left the country under the scheme prior to May 1st.
New rules took effect this year, meaning that Syrian refugees who live in Denmark do not immediately lose their right to residence if they return home.
They now have up to a year in which they can change their minds about the decision. The addition of this clause has encouraged people to take up the option, according to the Danish Refugee Council (DRC).
The organization is responsible for advising refugees who are thinking of returning to their homelands…”
Germany detains ‘Islamic State’ returnee deported from Turkey
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-detains-islamic-state-returnee-deported-from-turkey/a-51273499
“German authorities have detained an Islamist who was expelled with his family from Turkey. Ankara has been deporting individuals with alleged affiliation to the “Islamic State” terror outfit to their countries of origin…”
Malians rally to support army as 20 bodies found in village
https://www.france24.com/en/20191115-malians-rally-to-support-army-as-20-bodies-found-in-village
“Thousands of people took to the streets of Mali’s capital Bamako on Friday to support the West African country’s army, which has suffered heavy losses as it struggles to quell a jihadist revolt.
The rally came as a grim discovery in the fragile Sahel nation’s conflict-wracked centre illustrated the size of the challenge the army faces.
“Twenty bodies, some abandoned in wells, were found” by soldiers in the village of Peh in the central Mopti region on Wednesday, the government said.
The soldiers were sent to the village after reports of an attack by “unidentified individuals dressed in hunter’s clothes,” the government said in a statement Friday.
The group “abandoned stolen herds and retreated” when the soldiers arrived, the statement added, without saying how the 20 people died.
A rising jihadist insurgency that spread from the north to the centre of Mali has inflamed tensions between herders and sedentary farmers. Hundreds of lives have been lost in tit-for-tat assaults.
In Bamako, protest organisers said around 15,000 people marched in support of the army, while the police put the number at “several thousand”.
Demonstrators held up signs saying “No embezzlement of our funds” and “Long live FAMA (Malian armed forces)”.
Opposition leader Soumaila Cisse said the government had betrayed the army.
“Our soldiers are ill-equipped. We should be fighting for our military to be up to the job,” he said, blaming corruption.
Former minister and opposition figure Mohamed Ali Bathily said “the military and ministers who are behind this corruption must be judged”.
In the last month around 100 Malian soldiers have been killed in two of the deadliest attacks in the country’s history.
The army has been battling to contain the Islamist insurgency despite help from France, African neighbours and the United Nations.”
Germany: Interior Ministry refutes regional police’s Berlin Christmas market attack allegations
The German Interior Ministry refuted the allegations raised by the State Criminal Police Office of North Rhine-Westphalia (LKA NRW) that an employee of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) had hindered investigations related to the 2016 Breitscheidplatz Christmas market attack.
Speaking at a Federal Press Conference (BPK) in Berlin on Friday, German Interior Ministry Spokesperson Steve Alter stressed that the statement “has never been made” by an BKA official that an LKA informant was causing ‘too much work’, adding that “a private conversation between both of them never happened.”
Alter also denied the allegation that the view was supported ‘from the very top’, noting that such a statement “was never made.”
On Thursday, a chief detective was questioned as a witness before the investigative committee, where he raised allegations against BKA, the Interior Ministry and the Berlin police.
A total of 12 people were killed and dozens more injured when Tunisian national Anis Amri seized a truck and drove it into the crowd on December 19, 2016. Amri was later shot dead during a police raid in Italy.